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Tagine Lham bil Barkouk (Lamb Tagine with Caramelized Prunes and Almonds)

Name: Tagine Lham bil Barkouk (Lamb Tagine with Caramelized Prunes and Almonds)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 105 min
Total time: 135 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Morocco
Ingredients: 1200 g bone-in lamb shoulder or neck pieces (cut into large chunks); 2 large yellow onions (very finely grated or grated to a pulp); 4 cloves garlic (crushed to a fine paste); 60 ml extra virgin olive oil; 15 g smen (Moroccan preserved fermented butter, or substitute unclarified ghee); 1 g saffron threads (crumbled and steeped in 100 ml warm water); 10 g ground ginger; 5 g ground turmeric; 2 pieces whole Ceylon cinnamon sticks; 250 g dried pitted prunes (barkouk); 60 g wildflower honey (or granulated sugar); 5 g ground Ceylon cinnamon; 30 ml orange blossom water (zhar); 80 g blanched raw almonds; 15 g toasted white sesame seeds; fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Tender bone-in lamb slow-simmered in saffron and ginger, topped with honey-poached prunes, fried almonds, and toasted sesame seeds.

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moroccantaginelambfestiveslow-cooked

The story

Across Moroccan imperial cities like Fes and Marrakech, Tagine Lham bil Barkouk is the quintessential celebration dish prepared for weddings and Eid al-Adha banquets. It embodies the classic Arab-Andalusian culinary heritage of marrying rich savoury meats with sweet, spiced fruit aromatics. Historically, master home cooks (dadas) insist on grating the onions to a pulp so they melt into a thick, glossy reduction known as 'deghmira' rather than relying on starches for body.

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